Home Coming
by Issue No 2708786
Summary: Young Luffy returns home.


Five year old Monkey D Luffy hurried alone down the street, it was well into the afternoon which normally was the most busiest time of day, yet no one was around. He gritted his teeth as he reached the docks and glanced down the old high street, where the market place alive with people this time of day.

Passing the old high street, he ran onwards getting closer to the wooden docks. As he ran his eyes never left the large ship that was anchored there, properly the biggest ship he had seen in his young life.

Luffy stopped by the pier that had that ship anchored and gazed at it while he caught his breath. He then turned his attention to the ground, where the wooden decks met the old dust road. Many footsteps had passed this way a short time ago.

Luffy had learnt how to track animals a few weeks ago after his grandfather that had him in a jungle on the island next to Dawn Island. He had not long gotten back and was in need of a bath and bandages, his grandfather picked him up that very morning and dropped him off on the docks in the village next to his own, he had been running ever since.

As soon as he entered his village he noticed the villagers gathering around the Mayor, he heard the whispering of pirates going into the bar and poor Makino having to put up with them.

Luffy came before the bar's entrance, he could here roars of laugher from within and took a step forward and looked inside, the swinging doors brushed against his hair. In the doorway he waited, he could see the young woman walking to table to, placing bottles and large mugs down.

Luffy wanted to run to her, to tell her that he was cold, hungry and he was hurting. But he remained waiting until she had finished serving or if she saw him, only then would he move.

Luffy blinked down at his dirty hands, strained with both mud and blood. His whole body was the same, but it was not the first time his grandfather had left him alone on the island; this was the third time.

He glanced up and around, there were pirates on every table. They were all talking, laughing and shouting at once making it hard for Luffy to understand anything. But it was nice, it had been six weeks since he heard people so he it not bother him.

Makino blinked as she spotted the bloody little boy standing in the doorway, there was nothing she could do for Luffy at that moment; she did not know these pirates well enough to know if she could leave to take him upstairs, they may turn over the bar if she did not give them what they wanted right away.

She glanced towards the main bar, thankfully there was only one straw-hat wearing pirate there and he did not seen so bad, a lot quieter than the others, he simply looked the others having a good time. Nodding her to herself she opened her mouth, hoping that her voice could be heard over the noise and called out.

Her voice was not heard. She placed the bottles down and stood and shouted his name again. She sighed as she realized that this was not going to work. She off a deep breath in and shouted again.

Makino sighed sadly and turned hurrying to the bar, she blinked as she noticed the red head with the straw hat frowning at her.

"Everything alright?" He asked as he leaned over the bar and watched as she grabbed hold of more bottles. She only smiled at him and placed the bottles on another tray.

"OI! You guys shut it a sec would you!" The red haired pirate said loudly, and surprisingly everyone stopped talking and laughing and turned his way.

Makino froze at this and quickly looked around at the pirates, fearing the worst.

"Now what were you trying to say?" He smiled kindly at her.

Makino's shoulders relaxed and she smiled back at him, yes she would not mind leaving Luffy next to him while feeding.

"Thank you." She replied and deep a breathe in and called with a out voice, "LUFFY!"

The pirates blinked at her, and then frowned. The red haired man raised his eyebrow, also unsure what to make of the strange shout. Then a creak was hear, so small the pirates missed it at first. One by one they turned and saw the boy walking in as he did his feet seem to drag; his face was a void of emotion, his skin was pale and black bags were under his eyes, he could cuts and bruises all over his viable parts that could be seen through his ripped clothing.

Makino placed some food on the bar, as well as a glass of milk.

"Luffy eat." Makino said firmly as she started grabbing some bottles again. Then she was gone from behind the bar. Serving the still silent pirates.

Painfully slow the boy turned his head and stared at the warm food waiting for him. The first time he was left he ate bugs, the second he ate bugs and small birds, this time he learnt how to get bigger animals.

Luffy blinked and blinked.

He moved forwards and climbed the bar stool, he did not care that the pirates there now watching his every more.

Once seated Luffy blinked at the food and turned to the milk and blinked at that.

"Eat Luffy!" Makino called from one of the table, "And then hurry up and leave!"

Luffy nodded his head slowly, and grabbed the food on the plate and shoved it in his mouth with his hands. He felt tears running down his cheeks when he tasted the hot food, this was better than the bugs and birds he caught, properly because he did not know how to cook them right and burn them to black.

Luffy blinked down at the empty plate, it was gone too soon. He turned to eyed up the plate of food in front of the man, he man was eating slowly with a fork and there was still lots left.

Licking his licks Luffy raised a hand and grabbed a bit of bread that was on the edge of the plate and shoved it in his mouth quickly. Something hit him at the back of the head making he fall forward and smack his forehead on the bar.

"Luffy!" Makino cried out as she lowed the tray she hit Luffy with, "Don't take his food! I am so sorry, please let me get you a fresh piece!"

The straw-hat wearing pirate was no longer smiling, he stood up and grabbed the tray out of her hand causing her to fall backwards on the ground. He glared at her and raised his pistol to her chest, he did not care for the look of fear it her eyes or that they screamed for mercy.

Luffy was suddenly standing over her, arms out stretched either side glaring hard at him.

"Go away!" Luffy said as he narrowed his eyes at the man, "Go away!"

The red haired man gasped as he felt a familiar force coming off of the young boy.

"Boy..." The straw hat wearing pirate said as he held his pistol up, "Are you challenging me?"

"Go away!" Luffy said again, eyes never leaving the pirate in front of him. "I'll pay you back for the bread but leave Makino alone!"

"Mmmmmm..." The pirate said with a small grin and lowed the pistol, "I didn't drew this because of the bread boy...Are you really okay with your mother hitting you like that?"

"I don't care!" Luffy screamed out and he darted forwards knocking the pistol from the man's hand, taking the pirate completely by surprise, "It was my own fault! I'm to blame!"

The pirate blinked at his pistol that slid away from him and then back to the child, his own eyes narrowed. Luffy blinked at the strange feeling that passed over him, he jumped slightly when a few pirates dropped to the ground, others lay forward panting for breath, a few simply watched knowing what was happening.

Luffy never went down, he wanted to but something inside him screamed at his senses and kept him standing. Luffy glanced behind him to check on Makino, his eyes widen as he saw her laying on the floor with her eyes closed.

"Makino!" Luffy screamed in panic, tears filled his eyes. He faced the pirate once more and glared hard, willing the pirate just to go away and leave them alone; in his own child's mind he thought this would work...and it did, the pirate backed away and fell down to one knee, he left his head up. They were eye to eye.

For a moment the red haired pirate did not see a little boy standing there, he saw someone else, someone who had lost since died.

"Okay that's enough." A deep voice said from above, and Luffy blinked out of his staring contest to see a large man blowing smoke from his lips. "Captain, you do realize that you are fighting a child?"

The straw hat pirate blinked and blinked, yes there was a child in front of him. He laughed, causing the child to jump in the air in fright and backed away.

"Oh!?" The pirate laughed and pointed, "If I had known it would have been that easy, I should have just laugh in the first place." The whole bar erupted with laugher as the man who was there captain got to his feet.

"You okay?" The man asked his captain who looked a little shaken up.

"Fine." The captain replied grinning to show that he was indeed fine, "What a strange child, ah?"

"Makino...?" A sad little voice was heard through the laugher, causing the two to look down. The child was shaking the woman's shoulders trying to wake her.

"Brings back bad memories..." The red head said as he glanced down at the pair, "I hated my mother for what she done to me and my sister, but when I was his age I loved her more than anything."

"Ah..." The large man answered as he kneed down and check the woman over, the boy looked to him to her, "I'm just checking, boy."

"You just wait!" Luffy screamed as he turned to the red haired man, "I won't forgive you for this!"

"So you _are_ challenging me?" The captain said with a grin, "Luffy wasn't it?"

"Yeah! I'm Luffy!" Luffy said with the same fire as become, he suddenly felt tried. He sat down on the wooden floor and closed his eyes. "What...?" He asked but his voice was barely heard.

"I'm Shanks, nice you meet you..." Was the last thing Luffy heard before he fell into a deep sleep.


End file.
